Wyoming could see a decrease in drunk driving fatalities

Laramie, Wy – The number of fatalities related to drinking and driving in the state continue to fluctuate. Between 2007 and 2008 there was an increase in deaths due to drinking and driving. But the Highway Patrol's Sergeant Stephen Townsend says there seem to be fewer drunk-driving deaths in 2009. Townsend says these fluctuations are due to Wyoming's small population, which makes even small statistical changes look large. He adds that a decrease in drunk-driving fatalities this year would not be the result of a change in policy. "No, nothing. I don't remember any new statutes or anything else going into effect, nothing that we did different. We still participated in those nationwide campaigns and local campaigns as we had done in the past."A representative of Wyoming's chapter of Mothers against Drunk Driving says if the state wants drinking-and-driving deaths to decrease permanently, the state needs to allow law enforcement to do sobriety checkpoints and institute tougher penalties.